"Write now is good."

What it is: Questions without immediate, singular answers

Books find me.

I'm usually doing something else, like walking or writing or running around or researching something. And then there is a book in front of me, in my gaze, while I am in the midst of doing something else intensely.

My gaze will stop at a book among a sea of books: on shelves, in piles, at the top of a stack, in a bookstore window (both brick-and-mortar and virtual). 

When a book stands out to me at these unexpected moments, I will usually pick up the book. If I hesitate and I still feel the book's pull, I will definitely pick it up, if I can (much easier to do with a book on a metal shelf than one on a computer screen).

Often these books are ones that I know, and I'll leaf through them looking for a word or phrase that catches my eye. Sometimes I'll reread a favorite passage or find new meaning in one that I hadn't really understood in that way on the prior pass.

This time, a book new to me stood out. I saw it on a library shelf, and I checked it out. Then its return date arrived, and I had to return it. Then I bought my own copy, and I keep reading it. It is full of questions that have no simple answers. Many of the questions are phrased in ways I never thought of. The pages are rich with collaged snippets of words and images, of colored drawings, paintings, pen-and-ink sketches, all combined on the same page. 

I don't want to say any more about it because I don't want to spoil any of the mystery and surprise in the book, in case it finds you, too, and you feel compelled to pick it up.

However, I think I can feature a few of my favorite questions without giving too much away:

1. What is an idea made of? (p. 4)

2. (What) Where is a story before it becomes words? (p. 44)

3. Why do some images come back again and again? (p. 96)

These questions, and the time I am spending with this book, are triggering so many interesting ideas and thoughts. (I just discovered there is an "adjustable activity book" in the back. This has been very fruitful book serendipity.)

Book: What It Is by Lynda Barry (Drawn and Quarterly; 2008; hardcover; 209 pages)

Procrastination, side projects, and following true creative interests

As I work on my school- and work-related projects, I keep a notebook nearby. Sometimes I pause to write down an idea, brainstorm a bit, or sketch something I am trying to figure out or would like to design more completely at a later time. I have notebooks full of these "interruptions," some of which have turned into constructive outcomes: groups that form for creative community and support, an idea to discuss with someone, blog posts, and inspiration for future work.

I used to be annoyed that these interruptions appeared while I was working with intense focus on projects with deadlines. If they were evidence of procrastination, however, I still completed my work on time. If they were a work-stress release, they often resulted in making more work for me at a later time, and I didn't feel stressed about this future work; these interruptions looked fun to work on, and when I returned to re-read them, they inspired me. Some were even related to my current projects in varying ways. Others weren't related at all but still caught my conscious attention.

In this Humble Pied interview by Mig Reyes (graphic designer), Jessica Hische (letterer and illustrator)  talks about her view of other work that interrupts:

 

Hische says, “Whatever work you do when you are procrastinating from other things is probably what you should be doing for the rest of your life.” What do you think? How does this apply to how you work and your creative interests?

Tina Roth Eisenberg, a.k.a. "SwissMiss--a Swiss designer gone NYC," spoke at TYPO San Francisco last April on "The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts." Watch this video of her talk for additional insights into the importance of side projects in increasing creative momentum and why it is important to work on what interests you and what you love to do. (Here's a link to one of her side projects, Creative Mornings.)

FOWD Talk 2011: The Power of Side Projects and Eccentric Aunts from swissmiss on Vimeo.

Psychologist Howard Gruber devised a theory of creativity around these related projects he calls a "network of enterprise" as part of his "evolving systems approach to creative work." In the book Creative People at Work: Twelve Cognitive Case Studies, Gruber writes:

When we speak of creative work as purposeful, we have in mind a conception of work as complex  human activity organized to achieve specific ends. . . . To describe the pattern of work in the life of a creative individual we have adopted the organizing concept of a “network of enterprise.” We use the term enterprise to stand for a group of related projects and activities. (p. 11)

In the article "Constructive Repetition, Time, and the Evolving Systems Approach," psychology professor Richard Brower, commenting on Gruber's theory, further explains that:

The interconnection of multiple enterprises served at least three important functions for the creative process. First, it allows the person to continue working over time, even though blind alleys are encountered and projects are shelved. Second, it allows for the reorganization of purpose, affect, and knowledge. Third, it allows for increased opportunities for novelty and the potential for the amplification and elaboration of innovative discoveries. (2003, p. 63)

Seemingly random side project ideas and creative procrastination can be full of possibilities. Listen to and record them when they appear, and return to them later to see where they next take you in your creative process.

A photographic saga of uncertainty, determination and rebirth

Photo: 拿着宝丽莱的女孩 Girl with Polaroid by Randomix

For the last couple of years, I have been following the original Polaroid film's (and camera's) demise. In 2008, its parent company announced that it would stop making the film, though it would license the technology to others who still wished to make it.

The Polaroid's immediacy was its magic, and when digital photography became affordable and popular, it seemed to decisively prompt its extinction, moving some to hold memorial exhibitions and funerals. While I never used a Polaroid on a regular basis, I have albums peppered with these special photos from over the years. I felt sad that this technology so symbolic of my childhood was about to disappear.

Others began to mourn a potential Polaroid loss, too. A dedicated group called The Impossible Project, which closely monitored the classic Polaroid denouement, set up a web site and rallied artists, photographers, creatives and Polaroid fans worldwide to figure out a way to preserve this photographic form. The attention it created may have influenced Polaroid's initial decision on its namesake camera's fate.

This past January, at the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Polaroid company announced its next-generation camera, a 21st-century child of classic Polaroid — the Pic 1000. This new camera uses the same Polaroid film as did the first-model camera, the SX-70 (released in 1972), and its successors.

The classic Polaroid camera's lifespan has been extended. In honor of this, I'm featuring an 11-minute film by Charles and Ray Eames that explains how the camera works. Like the images the Polaroid produces, this ad/video is a snapshot of another time and place; there's something sweetly nostalgic about it, yet it also explains the photographic process taking place within the camera in clear, fascinating detail. (At about 4:20, the Eames perspective and illustrated narrative shows distinctly.)

Read more about inventor Edwin Land, who discovered how to polarize light and is one of Polaroid's co-founders, here.

PSFK Conference on April 2nd, NYC

Heads up, Creatives! The PSFK Conference in New York City, this Thursday starting at 9AM, offers an inspiring lineup of speakers in digital publishing, tech trends, green design, the arts and communications. A bit about its background:

Tailored for creative professionals, strategists and the media, we will host 12 lectures and panels on topics that include arts & culture, design, digital & mobile technology, marketing & advertising, sustainability, social media and publishing.

Attendees come to our events to share ideas with likeminds, so beyond the talks we will curate interactive experiences in the venue that bring our core themes to life.

PSFK Conference New York is the 8th conference hosted by PSFK following successful installments in London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore.

Past speakers and panelists include creative visionaries and innovators from companies like Apple, BBC, Microsoft, MTV, NASA, Panasonic, Starbucks, Wieden + Kennedy, and the Guardian, and globally-recognized and inspiring creative minds including Shepard Fairey, Kate Moross and Jeff Staple.

Tickets are still available. If anyone reading this attends and blogs about it, drop a comment back by here so I can (a) read your blog post, and (b) link to it so others can read it. Thanks!

Early morning creative magic

Photo: "sunrise in the city" by tattoodjay

This blog caught my eye: "Daily Routines: How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days."

While reading through these posts, I noticed that most creatives featured get up early (between 5-6AM) most days and start writing or painting soon after waking.

How was your vacation?

Photo: "the perfect vacation" by OneGreatClick

How was your vacation?

Did you relax your body and mind completely?

Are your batteries recharged? Have you again pinpointed your creativity's source on your artist-self map? Ready to write, draw and blog anew?

Did you get a necessary change of scenery? See new places? Smell different, more fragrant air?

You did? All of the above? Wonderful. So did I.

Wait — you didn't? No worries — August's remainder beckons. There's time enough for a last weekend escape — or at least one earnest day trip, swimming in a sea of daydreams.

Introducing "Matinée Muse", a creativity boost

Matinée Muse, now in its third week, is a blog that presents two weekly creativity prompts based on movie themes. You can participate in this online community by following three steps:

1. Use the Matinée Muse prompts to inspire your creativity. (You don't have to write about the movie, though you may.)
2. Write a poem or a short story, or create some artwork or take a photograph—related to one of the prompts.
3. After you have created your work, post it to your site, and add that post's link to the comments of the Matinée Muse post.

Other MM members will visit your post and comment on your work. If you haven't participated in an online-prompt community before, introduce yourself by commenting on other's posts; many (if not all) of the bloggers you visit will click through to see your work in return.

Participating in online-prompt communities can have many benefits:

-- If you create every week consistently, you get regular practice in your art form and, thus, get better at it.

-- You build a body of work over time. (A year of doing the weekly prompts = 52 new works! What a vibrant, current portfolio that would be.)

-- Seeing other takes on the same prompt expands and challenges your interpretation of the prompt. I consider this healthy artistic and intellectual brain exercise.

-- If you're suffering from a writing or art-making block, switching creative gears for a moment and approaching a prompt with lightness and fun can keep you creating. Keeping creative energy flowing builds your momentum and staves off long creative dry spells which can deplete artistic energy.

-- Regularly commenting on other bloggers' works creates an online creative community and network.

One extra bonus for movie lovers: MM features movie poster images and links to more information about all films mentioned. One of this week's prompts is based on the classic whose poster is shown above.

Be an AWESOME writer

Last month, I wrote a post about a very insightful and funny YouTube video called "Book Launch 2.0". It features Dennis Cass, an accomplished writer and the author of Head Case, conversing with a phone-friend about the pros and cons of using new and social media to launch books.

For those of you who enjoyed Cass's video also, I've got good news: he has created an online community. Its goal: to make creative people more effective and successful at their creative lives and careers. It is called, appropriately, "Dennis Cass Wants You To Be More Awesome."

DCWYTBMA is a site full of "advice, jokes and tough love for people who want to make a living making culture." Dennis regularly answers members' questions, providing sound advice on a variety of relevant topics. The community is active, full of creatives commenting with additional viewpoints and examples. Plus, he features an "Awesomizer" to help improve creative endeavors; it has made me look at some pop culture mainstays with a fresh perspective.

I strongly believe that participating in writing/creative groups (even online!) can help their participants grow in their work, get unstuck when creative blocks arise, and provide camaraderie and support when the creative road is nothing but potholes and speed traps. (If you have done anything creative ever in your life, then you know the ride can get bumpy...)

While reading Cass's articles and answers, I have laughed out loud many times. Knowledgeable creative-career guidance + original insights + active community + humor = WIN! And if you sign up, I'll see you there.

Searching for blogs

Photo: "an i" by Magitisa

Yes, I'm on the hunt.

I'm looking for good blogs on writing, creativity, media and inspiration.

Please leave a comment with any you'd like to share. Thanks!

The spark is just the start...

Photo: "Sparks" by House Photography

I'm always on the lookout for other writers' and creatives' takes on how to make ideas reality. In "Saving the Spark: Developing Creative Ideas", graphic designer and writer Mark Boulton explains his practical views on this. He begins:

Ideas. They’re at the heart of every creative process. However, almost no really good ideas are flashes of inspiration. They may start that way—a single glimmer of something special—but in order to work, they need to be honed. Like a really good cheese, they need to mature. Indeed, the “flash of inspiration” idea—the Eureka moment—is only part of a longer process that, if ignored, will see most ideas simply fizzle out.

So, how do you “have” ideas? Sit about and wait for them to pop into your head? If only most of us had the luxury to do so. No, for most of us, ideas have to be squeezed out of us every day. To stand up to this challenge, you need to arm yourself with some good tools...

Read on to discover those tools.

If you're creating projects (and solving problems along the way) with a group, definitely read how Boulton describes getting the most out of brainstorming sessions.

Found at A List Apart.